wingsofhistory

[wingsofhistory]

Hillsborough, New Brunswick (and a few other places)

Sorry I haven't been posting much in the past little bit. I was recently in Moncton for two weeks, visiting some family. We went on a day trip to Fundy National Park, where I got to watch the famous tides that the Bay of Fundy's known for. Above is the CF-101 Voodoo (serial 101028), which was placed recently in Hillsborough, New Brunswick, about 45 minutes from Moncton. It's apparently been there since 2023.

Above is a view from the Fundy National Park Observation Deck, located up the hill from HQ. It wasn't as windy as it was near the ocean, which was a great change. I tried to observe the skies and the general fall weather that this area of New Brunswick was having so I could get an idea of what to stick in the flashback parts of this story.

I have a few photos of Hopewell Rocks too, which I might mention as well. The flowerpots are very pretty.

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Heeehyy guys 😍 still alive. Barely…. I know I’m not very active on tumblr but I am looking and lurking!! Still Das boot brain rotting so here’s more art I’ve made for it

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Lewis and Tess

I recently watched the ENTIRE 8 PART SERIES of Postman Pat thanks to the similarities that were pulled between Lewis Callum and the beloved children's show character, Pat Clifton.

So, I think this is a good time to introduce Lewis' cat. Drawn in the first photo is Tess. Entrusted to Lewis, Tessie was given to him in 1942, after a villager in the town he was based out of asked him to take care of the cat while he was deployed.

Now, the squadron pet, Tessie walks around and makes himself comfortable wherever he feels like it. Sometimes it's Lewis' hat, other times it's the squadron leader's boots... Tess is well loved by the squadron.

I should mention, Lewis was designed long ago to have a black and white cat. As Lewis is based off of a real person who owns a black and white cat, this was always planned to be a thing. I just never had a name for Lewis' cat. Now, thanks to Postman Pat, I decided to name him Tessie.

Tessie is based after Stinky, my boyfriend's cat. Below, the one and only Stinky, compared to Jess from Postman Pat.

That being said, I love Postman Pat. Such a good series. Thank you internet randoms on Discord for pointing this out.

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Name Change!

On Wings of History will be getting yet another name change... On theme with the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force, the decision was made to change On Wings of History to:

Adversity to the Stars!

This is in reference to the Royal Canadian Air Force's (extended from the Royal Air Force) motto during the Second World War, Per Ardua ad Astra - Through Adversity, to the Stars! Sadly, the name Pathway to the Stars (in tune with the current RCAF motto) has already been used with a book title in regards to the Royal Canadian Air Force Centennial, so we couldn't use it.

Don't worry! We will be keeping the wingsofhistory handle here on Tumblr for the time being, so we're not going anywhere :)

Please enjoy this drawing of our favourite F/L Callum!

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So, who are you?

So you've made it to this page. Congratulations! This is the official blog for On Wings of History, a story following Flight Lieutenant Lewis Callum as he traverses the French countryside in order to escape the claws of the Nazi occupants. A little bit about me, you may know me as Kat, or Kaffy, or sometimes by my last name. I am heavily involved in the Royal Canadian Air Cadet program, and since I've joined, been interested in the history of the Royal Canadian Air Force.

When I was a kid, I mostly read books of the likes of Geronimo Stilton, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Dork Diaries, and the Dear Canada/I am Canada series.

The third one plays more of a part in my interest in the Second World War, exposing me to the stories of children and young adults during times of despair. I feel most influenced by "Dear Canada: Torn Apart", which covers the experience of Mary Kobayashi, a young Japanese girl forced to move from her place in Vancouver to the BC Interior to live in a harsh internment camp. It was this and "Dear Canada: These are my Words" that I remember clearly reading. I've been writing for at least 6 years now. In elementary school, I wrote mostly non-fiction pieces about Northeastern European wars (ex. the Winter War/Continuation War), being published in the school paper as part of the educational section of the magazine.

I am published in the Vancouver Public Library's Book Camp Anthology (2019) with a piece called "The Envelope." Prior to On Wings of History, The Envelope (both No Man's Land and Night of the Patriots) were my biggest projects. They have since been abandoned as of December 2023, but you'll see the characters floating around the internet once in a while.

On Wings of History was inspired by various sources, including the Dear Canada/I Am Canada books, The Long Long Holiday/Les Grandes Grandes Vacances, as well as Live in Infamy/The Only Thing to Fear.

My goal with this piece is to tell a story that appeals to the young adult population, and while doing so, teach them a bit about the history of Canada's own Air Force.

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Shimmering Skies

Over the shimmering skies of the night Our wings soar high in the clouds Grounded lights below Bright stars above Rumbling engines rust their sound Up, up, higher, gracious hand of God Wrestle each other, on earth as his sons I touched the face of an enemy near And held the soul of a brother Never once, could one have danced With evil in the skies Drunk off despair Forgotten of prayer Yet hope was seen in their eyes Though bullets called, shriek and shrill I could never know his name Flown high in the sky Through the dark of the night Never blessed with the laurels of fame.

This is the poem that's used to open up Callum's story. Written in the story as one of Lewis' creations, he gains inspiration to write this piece some time in 1942. Shimmering Skies is meant to talk about Callum's war experience, and what he thinks about those pilots he fights against.

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Portrait photo thingies of Lewis and Feliks?

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Long day?

This was drawn for Art Fight! Sharing it here because it includes Kowalczyk, Callum, and a side character, Šlesingr.

Mad shoutout to @neptunes-blue, who's featured here with their character SqnCom Procházka.

https://artfight.net/attack/7941500.slow-day

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Introduction: Feliks 'Thistle' Kowalczyk

Flying Officer Feliks Kowalczyk (Pronounced Kowal-chick) is the main character of Wings of History. Hailing from the Eastern Polish town of Lublin, Kowalczyk is the stuntmaster of his squadron, the fabled No. 303 Squadron.

Born to an upper class family in Lublin, Russian Empire, Feliks lived a life of luxury and travel, fueling his dreams to see the world. He started his aviation career at the ripe age of 18, after enrolling at the Polish Air Force University with hopes to become an officer. In 1938, he graduated and fully commissioned into the military as a bomber pilot.

In 1939, Polish sovereignty was infringed on as the German military marched their way onto their soil. Being deployed almost immediately, the Polish Air Force could not withstand the technologically advanced Luftwaffe, and soon succumbed to the invading military power. In turn, Kowalczyk was forced to run if he didn't want to face arrest, heading north towards Lithuania.

Kowalczyk arrived in the United Kingdom after fist fighting his way through Eastern Europe by boat. His immediate response to his exile was to continue fighting, whether that be on his own terms or with a foreign military. He attempted to enlist in the RAF, but was turned down. He attempted a second time, after agreements were made between the Polish government in exile and the British government to allow Polish militarymen to fight alongside British troops. He was posted to Squadron 303, one of the first Polish fighter squadrons to grace the British skies. A real stuntmaster, Kowalczyk loves to grace the skies with his adventurous talents, though one day that may lead him to trouble...

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Introduction: Lewis "Fundy" Callum

Flight Lieutenant Lewis Callum is the main character of Wings of History. From the forested heights of New Brunswick, Canada, Callum is a very successful pilot of the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Born in 1915, Callum belonged to a family of foresters who lived just south of Riverview Heights, in the emerging Greater Moncton area. Eager to learn about beyond the skies, Callum started his aviation career at the young age of 16, after becoming a member at the Moncton Flying Club (today, the Moncton Flight College). One of his earliest memories in the sky includes him getting lost on a flight over the Bay of Fundy, to which he earned his callsign. Boring.

Hoping to become a land surveyor, Callum's world took a turn as he took an opportunity to join the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1933. Upon finishing the training program in 1937, he was posted with No. 1 Squadron out of Trenton, ON. He simultaneously gained a degree in mathematics during these years.

In 1939, Canada declared war on Germany after the Invasion of Poland. In the steps of the United Kingdom, it became clear that Callum was soon to be involved in this conflict. No. 1 Squadron was moved to the United Kingdom in order to support the RAF in their air war. His talents in aviation would soon come to light as the Battle of Britain came to play, successfully gaining his first 11 kills. In one incident, he marked himself in history as an ace in a day after claiming 3 Heinkel HE-111s and 2 109s in one go, successfully landing him a nomination for a Distinguished Flying Cross. He was promoted in 1942 to his current position.

Callum was almost put on the chopping block in 1943, as his eyesight started to deteriorate. His DFC gave just enough reasoning for them to keep him on the board. Whew! In his free time, Callum writes poetry, and keeps a journal (which seems to keep getting stolen).

Leading up to 1944, Callum would participate in a few hundred sorties, racking up some 300-400 hours of combat flight time. HIs total came up to 19 shot down, just before March of 1944. To this day, he continues to soar above the surly bonds of earth, and dance on laughter silvered wings.

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Hello!

Wings of History is a blog dedicated to following the development of The Wingman, a project by thekatcameback set to release later this year (hopefully).

The Wingman is a historical fiction journal logged by Flight Lieutenant Lewis Callum, 403rd RCAF, as he navigates through the French countryside after bailing out behind enemy lines. Each entry is written from Callum’s perspective, as he expresses his emotions through word, poetry, and sometimes with doodles.

We recognize the efforts of Allied airmen during the Second World War, and the struggles they went through to defend the world from the German warhorse.

High Skies!

F/L Callum